Apparatus for shaping glass rods



June 16, 1931. v w, KQERING 1,809,854

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING GLASS RODS Filed Jun 14. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l ll ll INVENTOR faszaml'as M Abe/"ling ATTORNEY June 16,- 1931. E. w. KOERING 1,809,854

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING GLASS RODS Filed June 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 h\\\\\\\ \\\\jj I \,2%

INVENTOR:

4 6.. I fusfacB/ryz'w M Hoe/01g TTORNEY Patented June 16,1931 3 7 9 EUs'rAoHIUs xonnrns; g vmeeam wmasm V ArrnRn'rUs FOB/SHAPING GLASS :aons' f' Application filed 'J'une' 1 1, 1927. Serial no.1ea727.

This invention relates to a method and apeing, which renders thejr'ods plastic at the de- -paratus for reshaping glass rods andmore sired. zone, after which they may. be bent, particularly to the'reshaping of glassrods of distorted or tooled into any desired shape, relatively largesize. v, H j as will appearmorefully hereinafter. 5 rHeretofore it has not been deemed feasible 'In order that the invention may be more 55 a to successfully reshape drawn glass rods of fully understood reference will behad to large: size; that is rods ofa diameter of onethe accompanying drawings in which v half inch orover, "to any appreciable extent *F igil jis'aperspective view of the! appa- '-due to the extreme difficulty of locally. heat-' .ratusforheatingthe rods locally to the plas- 19 ing the portion to be reshaped totherplastic 'tic state;; a n Q a or-semiplastic stagevvi-thout' fractureoji the Fig.7 2is-a sectional view of the apparatus rodby't'he expansion-strains set between v employedto tool therod'tothe desired form. the heated portion and the adjacent'cooler Fig-13 E a V ew, imilar to Figure ZWithportions; 1

the, rods; completely: reshaped;

i In'the manufactureof glass ttovvelbarsandt; vF' g'.;t-'is:an. elevation ofthe reshapedro-d; 65 a 7 similar object'si'it has been the usual custom, I 1 'Figr 5-is a perspective View of the appain accordancefwith- "prior practice, to. conratus of Fig. 1 viewed from the opposite side struct the barota straight rodofglass supshowingtthe manner of heating thebars'ata' ported in posts or brackets extending out- -zone intermediate their ends and,

t Wardly fromthe wall and to taper the ends Fig; H is a sectional-view of an apparatus 70 4 of-the glass rodszfor reception inthe brackets,v forbendin g the bars; s by abrasion. I 1j 1The1apparatusshovvninFigrl comprises a The present invention is particularlyap Ifurnace 111, commonlytermedia glory hole,

plicable to the manufacture of glass towel having a burner '2directed into an aperture bars 'one ofthe objects beingt provide-a Bin thenpper ,sidejthereof. T Adjacentthe 7 novel methodof reshaping the bars, such as lower end'ofthe furnacealong one face-is an tapering, bending, and the formation of -elongatedopening 4 provided for the egress grooves thereinor flanges voreenlargementsv-'ofheat forpreheatin'gtheends of the glass thereon. i a rods;5 preparatory to rendering them plas- Another object is. to'provide 1a 'methodgand tic; The rods-5 are supportedin a ii'rarne 6 80 apparatus for heating-glass rods bywhich comprising a pair of spaced side members 7 solidxrodsofrelatively-large; diameter may havinga; sinuous slide or; opening 8 therein be locally heated to the plastic stage Without down whichtherodstravelby gravity. The

, fracture thereof.) length of the slidevvay isdesigned sothatthe A furtherobject is to provide rafnovel time consumed by the rods intr'avelingfrom 8e 1 method; and, apparatus for reshaping the the entranceQt theexitlOislsuch as to heat plastic rods into any desired form; 5 g; i the rjodsatga sufliciently slow rate toprevent Other objects; and advantages will herein-g the creation of dest ructive strains in the glass. after more fully appear The fti ne-and extent of the'preheating' de- In accordance With the present-inventionpends onthesize ofgthe rods and their com 0 theportions of the rods Whichit is desiredtor positionx and can readily be determined by render plastic aresubjected to a 'gprolongedgtrialLQ IVhen' it is desired to (work the 'rods and gradually increasing preheat treatment they -are removed froni the'lower end of the I prior to ibeingrais'ed 'to'the plastictemperarack or slide and the,;;heated;end'1-1 inserted I ture, the heating extending beyond the zone ,in oneoffa series of openings 12 provided in 1 to be reshaped in a gradually decreasingtem- -e the front sideiofthe furnace. j The rodsare peraturegradient of such'moderate declivity. heated to the plastic state in this positionb'ut as toprevent the creation'ofdestructiveex-j dueito the high and slow preheat treatment pansion strains in the glass. This preheat-. ;-to Whichtherodswere previously subjected, 5 ing is followed-b e more-intense localheata. extending;backimmthe Qlldfiin a gradually: .109;

' 3for forming manner. The jaws or plates 15 are each provided with a groove 16 and ridge 17 which form the complementary configurations on the rod.

The plates 15 are formed integral with a steelspring 18 provided with a wooden portion 19 serving as a hand grip. A guide member 20 is provided to limit and determine the extent of insertion of the glass rod into the jaws and is rendered adjustable by nuts 21 arranged on opposite sides of the end portion 22 of the steel spring 18.

The plastic'end 11 of the rod is inserted between the plates 15 and rotated therebetween until they are worked into the desired shape. In place of the bead 13 or groove 14 other forms may be produced by the tooling operation. For the purpose of a towel bar it is necessary to tool both ends. The rods are therefore passed through the rack 6 a second time and the opposite ends heated and reshaped.

' In Fig. 5 I have shown an apparatus for locally heating the rods intermediate their ends. For this purpose the remaining two sides of the furnace of Fig. 1 may be employed or a separate furnace may be used. The rods are passed slowly down a rack 23 similar to rack 6 and the ends slowly preheated from the aperture 24 in the lower end of the furnace. In order to distribute the heat over a zone spaced from the end of the rod, a shelf or .bafile 25 projects outwardly from the furnace above the opening 24 and protects the ends of the bars from the direct action of the flames, which'are caused to strike the bars at the required distance from the ends, gradually decreasing along the bar adjacent the zone it is desired to reshape. After the preheating is completed the rods are disposed over a secondopening 26 arranged-in the upper side of a box-like projection 27 of the furnace. The opening 26 is spaced a distance "from the side '28 of the furnace so that the zone to be heated may be placed directly over the opening and be heated to'the working temperature without heating of the end portion.

, The bar'may then be bent or otherwise distorted at the heated zone.

By way of illustration only, I have shown an apparatus which mayiserve as a guide for bending the bars at the heated zone. This apparatus comprises a plate 29 having one end bent to form a U- haped channel 30. The opposite endof the 'plate has a curved face 31 the heat corresponding with the curvature which it is desired to impart to the bar. As will be evident, itis only necessary to insert the tooled end 11 of the bar in the channel 30 and bend the bar about the curved face 31. Obviously, any other suitable apparatus for assisting in the uniform bending of the bar may be employed.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made in the apparatus shown for carrying out the present invention without departing from the invention and I do not desire to be limited to the exact details shown and described, except in accordance with the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. Apparatus for heating glass rods of large diameter without setting up disruptive strains therein, comprising a furnace having an opening in one side thereof for the exit of heat, and gravity conveyor for progressively and slowly passing said rods from a point of low temperature to a point of high temperature. I

2. Apparatusfor heating glass rods of large diameter without setting up disruptive strains therein, comprising a furnace having an opening in one side thereof for the exit of heat, anda rack for supporting said rods with the portion thereof to be heated adjacent the furnace, said rack having a guideway therein for permitting the rods to pass by gravity from a position remote from the furnace opening to a position opposite thereto. I 3. Apparatus for heating glass rods of large diameter without setting up disruptive strains therein, comprising a furnace having an opening in one side thereof for the exit of heat, and a rack for supporting said rods with the portion thereof to be heated adjacent the furnace, said rack having a guideway therein for permitting the rods to pass by gravity from a position remote from the furnace opening to a position opposite thereto and means associated with said furnace for prgtecting from heat certain portions of said ro s. i

4. Apparatus for heating glass rods of large diameter without setting up disruptive strains therein, comprising a furnace having an opening in one side thereof for the exit of heat, and a rack for supporting said rods with the portion thereof to be heated adjacent the furnace, said rack having a guideway therein for permitting the rods to pass by gravity from a position remote from the furnace opening to a position opposite thereto and means associated with said furnace for diraecting' the heat on desired portions of said to s.

5. Apparatus for locally heating glass rods to the plastic state comprising afurnace having an opening in a sidewall thereof for the exit of heat, means for passing said rods from a position remote from said opening to a posif vtion adjacent thereto through progressively heat the rods to near the plastic state over a substantial portion thereof and a bafiie disposed above said opening for deflecting said heat to a portion of said rods spaced from the ends thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto suhscribed my name this 22nd day of April, 1927. i 7

EUSTACHIUS W. KOERIN G.

increasing temperature zones to gradually 

